Nigeria has dropped to 115th out of 123 countries in the 2025 Global Hunger Index (GHI), revealing an alarming rise in hunger and food insecurity across the nation.
The new ranking highlights how rising inflation, widespread poverty, and persistent insecurity are worsening access to affordable and nutritious food.
The Global Hunger Index, released this week, measures hunger levels using indicators such as undernourishment, child stunting, wasting, and mortality.
According to the report, Nigeria’s food insecurity crisis is becoming more severe, with millions struggling daily to meet basic nutritional needs.
Speaking during the Nutritious Food Fair in Kano on Thursday, Propcom+ Country Representative, Dr. Adiya Ode, expressed grave concern about the growing hunger situation.
She warned that if urgent steps are not taken, the crisis could escalate beyond control.
“Over 31.8 million Nigerians already face acute food insecurity,” Dr. Ode said.
She noted that malnutrition and child stunting rates have continued to rise, calling for collective action from government and private stakeholders to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable.
Dr. Ode reaffirmed Propcom+ Nigeria’s commitment to work closely with authorities to tackle the worsening food crisis.
“Our collaborations form the backbone of this mission. For example, our partnership with the Kano State Government and HarvestPlus is helping to strengthen the entire food value chain from seed to shelf ensuring farmers earn better incomes, consumers eat healthier, and local markets thrive,” she stated.
She further emphasised the importance of involving private investors, policymakers, and development agencies to create lasting solutions.
According to her, sustainable progress depends on innovation and collective responsibility.
The Country Manager of HarvestPlus Nigeria, Dr. Yusuf Dollah Fu’ad, also underscored the importance of promoting biofortified crops that supply vital vitamins and minerals to address hidden hunger.
“The food-based approach offers one of the most practical and sustainable ways to fight hidden hunger in Nigeria,” he explained.
“However, stronger coordination is needed across nutrition-focused initiatives to achieve lasting results.”
Dr. Fu’ad said that most rural households depend on their own farm produce for survival, which makes nutrition-focused farming critical.
He highlighted that the 11th edition of the Nutritious Food Fair aims to expand such agricultural innovations and encourage farmers to adopt nutrient-enriched crops.
Kano State Boosts Fight Against Malnutrition
In a related effort, Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Yusuf, revealed that the state government had reopened over 65 treatment centres dedicated to tackling malnutrition and child stunting.
According to him, more than ₦1 billion has been released as counterpart funding to improve access to fortified foods for vulnerable households.
“We remain determined to reverse the worrying trend of malnutrition. Improving child nutrition remains one of our top public health priorities,” Dr. Yusuf said.
